Wargame Mechanics Index

Quality / chart ladder shifts

Modifiers move a unit up or down a graded ladder of charts or classes instead of adding to a roll.

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Watch it played 4 moments

  • 5:06–5:31
    Epic D-Day Wargame (Part 2 of 2)
    Little Wars TV
    Rule in play Air and naval combat upshifts

    British commander Chal uses airstrike and naval gunfire support cards to upshift his combat column against German defenders outside Caen.

  • 23:34–24:18
    Epic D-Day Wargame
    Little Wars TV
    Rule in play Eliminating the surrounded 82nd Airborne

    German forces close in on the isolated and unsupported American paratroopers. Using column shifts and rolling on the combat chart, the Germans wipe out the entire 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

  • 7:27–8:35
    Rommel Rule Review
    Little Wars TV
    Rule explained Tactical combat shifts bog down play

    Greg describes purchasing offensive and defensive tactics with ops dice to shift columns up or down on the combat grid, explaining why this mechanic slows down the pace of play. B-roll shows players deliberating over their option sheets before an attack.

  • 15:39–16:18
    12-Player Gallipoli Wargame
    Little Wars TV
    Rule explained Resolving Gallipoli amphibious landings table

    The umpire details his custom landing table designed to adjudicate beach assaults, highlighting d6 checks for unopposed landings and opposed die rolls modified by die shifts for rough terrain, obstacles, and bombardment.

Moments picked automatically, by AI watching the video or reading its captions, and linked at the timestamp on YouTube. Quotes are from the captions.

How games do it 4 games

3engine
Classification-level modifiers"There Stands Jackson Like A..." (class-shift combat resolution)

Every circumstance raises or lowers a unit's effective quality class by whole levels rather than modifying a roll.

How it works

Modifiers include range (ineffective -2), charismatic leader attached +2 or within 6" +1, good leader attached +1, uncommanded -2, cover +1/+2, defending +1, square/column/cavalry match-ups from +3 to -3, attacking from flank or rear +3 and attacked from flank or rear -6. Each class has a performance ceiling it cannot be raised above, but there is no floor (Old Guard attacked in the flank can fight as Conscript Line).

If the only modifying that is allowed is by increasing or decreasing a whole classification level, we may not be so inclined to create phone books of modifiers.
Download · p. 42, 43 Quote verified
3engine
Charts A-E / Chart DifferencesFife and Drum Rules for the American Revolution

Each troop type has values on five charts; advantages and disadvantages move the unit up or down the ladder.

How it works

The unit table lists firing, melee and morale numbers for Charts A to E per troop type (e.g. Grenadiers melee 9/7/6/5/3). Melee uses Chart C for equal situations, B/A for minor/major advantage (e.g. cavalry vs unformed infantry, flank attacks) and D/E for disadvantages. Firing chart depends on target formation (square/flank A, column B, line C, skirmishers/shaken D, hard cover E). When two charts apply, start at C and shift by the net difference.

if two charts apply to the same unit, start at Chart C and then move up/down by the net difference
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2engine
Levels of CommitmentA Coat of Steel

Courage Checks are resolved by the commander's Commitment level, and events move the check one level up or down instead of adding a modifier.

How it works

A Courage Check reads the result for the commander's Commitment level (Committed, Well-wisher or Uncommitted) from the drawn Resolution card. The Mistrust Danger makes all commanders involved count one level of Commitment lower. A bad Handstroke hazard result makes the loser take a Courage Check at -1 level of Commitment. Resolution cards such as "Thou with an Eagle art Inspired!" have the drawer check at 1 level higher or lower.

All commanders involved count one level of Commitment lower.
Download · p. 21, 33, 47 Quote verified
1engine
Column shift modifiersCanvas Eagles

Anti-aircraft fire and cannon hits shift the damage roll to a different column of the Combat Result Table instead of modifying the die.

How it works

The 1d6 Combat Result Table is read by column. Ground fire uses the 2 column. Light anti-aircraft fire uses the 4 column shifted by -1, -2 or -3 for target altitude 1, 2 or 3, and a further -1 if the target flies at speed 3 or 4. Heavy anti-aircraft fire also uses the 4 column, with shifts of -1, -2 or -3 by altitude band and -1 for speed 3 or 4. A confirmed cannon hit shifts the damage table up 8 columns, for example from column 8 to column 16.

Light Anti-Aircraft Fire: Roll on the 4 column Column shift modifiers: -1 Target is at altitude 1 -2 Target is at altitude 2 -3 Target is at altitude 3
Download · p. 22, 23 Quote verified